Greener garments need a push
Written by Writer on Monday, October 27th, 2008
Greener garments need a push
PORNNALAT PRACHYAKORN
The EU Flower eco-label might not guarantee the success Thai textile manufacturers have sought because of scant awareness of the label in the lucrative European Union (EU) market, according to Chen Namchaisiri, the president of the textile maker Asia Fiber Plc.
Four Thai textile manufacturers so far have received the EU Flower, the mark of quality for adherence to environmental standards.
Thai garments with EU Flower certification are displayed at Texworld 2008 in Paris.
Asia Fiber, Rama Textile Industry, Greenville Trading and Thong Thai Textile became the first Asian companies to receive the award last year. But manufacturers have encountered lukewarm support from the EU market.
“Some European customers don’t even recognise the label and still demand a standard eco-label specific to textiles called Oko-Tex. They don’t know that the EU Flower is actually a much better label because it covers the Oko-Tex standard as well,” said Mr Chen, an executive committee member of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).
“It is not right to ask whether Thai manufacturers are ready as we’ve always been proactive in lifting our standard to meet EU requirements,” said Mr Chen. “It is the readiness of the EU market itself that’s in question.”
He said most Thai textile manufacturers were now more concerned about the new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use which deals with Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemical substances (Reach). The new law took effect on June 1 last year.
Nevertheless, having the EU Flower label is still an advantage since some clients are looking for manufacturers with the green award. “Demand is shifting from China as Thailand is the first and only country in Asia that received the awards and we also have a complete supply chai,” said Mr Chen.
Demand for green products is expected to increase as the European Commission (EC) set a target this year that by 2010 half of the EU’s public-sector purchases have to be green products under the Green Public Procurement.
“Although we haven’t seen that many more orders from the EU, at least we will be ready and have more advantages than Asean manufacturers without the label if the EU market becomes more open in the future,” said Mr Chen.
A roadshow to promote the image of Thai textile companies with EU Flower certification was held last month at Texworld 2008 in Paris.
“The EU Flower still represents a small market in Europe, but the trend of eco-textiles is booming with the government’s efforts to create awareness of the label,” said Ajaree Tavornmas, the organiser of the Thai EU Flower Roadshow Project.
Another roadshow is planned for next year in Germany.
Bangkok Post
Monday October 27, 2008
